


Everything Has Changed

by wallflow3r



Series: New Experiences [3]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Babysitter Beth, Beth gets it, Beth uses sex to soothe Daryl, Blow Jobs, Cunnilingus, Daryl uses sex to communicate his feelings, Developing Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Merle is a dick, Merle is still a dick, Morning Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Beth Greene, Rough Sex, Shameless Smut, Shower Sex, Smut and feels marathon, This Beth is a wildcard, Watch out Daryl, You Have Been Warned, but he can't help it, mindblowing orgasms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-14 18:04:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17513345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wallflow3r/pseuds/wallflow3r
Summary: In their chance first meeting, the chemistry between Beth and Daryl was undeniable, but when they explore it further, is the connection between them anything more than just physical?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this happened. It's basically a smut/feels marathon which I've split into three parts. The next part is written so will be up later this week.
> 
> Today is the last day of voting for the [Moonshine Awards!](https://ultimatebethylficlist.com/2016-moonshine-awards/) My original Babysitter Beth fic, The Do Over, is nominated in the One-Shot (oops) and Smut categories so if you liked it please go vote for it. If you like any of my other stories, I have nominations in other categories and you can show them some love too. Go look! Vote! Long Live Bethyl!

Beth doesn't reply to Daryl’s text that night. She’s not trying to play hard to get or anything –that ship sailed when she had sex with him on the kitchen counter less than an hour after meeting him- it’s just that she isn’t sure when she can see him again. All she knows is that she needs to talk to Jimmy first; she owes him that much at least.

So instead of hitting reply to Daryl's message like her fingers are itching to do, Beth scrolls down to a message from her boyfriend. She sends him a text asking to meet her for breakfast tomorrow at a diner in town.

The giddy butterflies in her stomach turn to lead as she ruminates over what is going to happen next. She’s going to break up with him. She knew that for certain when she kissed Daryl, but being sure doesn’t make it any easier. If she’s being honest with herself, she’s known it wasn’t working for a while. It isn’t just because of Daryl, but she’d be lying if she didn’t admit he was the catalyst for why she needs to do it _right now_. He showed her things inside herself that she didn’t know were there and she can’t turn away from that. Even so, she doesn’t want to hurt Jimmy, and there’s a heavy feeling in her chest when she climbs into bed.

As she stares at the ceiling with her eyelids growing heavy, her mind drifts to those impossible blue eyes and broad shoulders and the butterflies break out from beneath their lead prison. A small part of her hopes she isn’t being reckless by throwing away what she has to chase the unknown. But a larger part of her doesn’t care if she is. If you can’t be a little reckless when you’re eighteen, when can you? 

* * *

   
The sun is tickling Beth’s eyelids when her phone vibrates loudly on the nightstand. 

It’s Jimmy, and Beth can’t help the flash of disappointment at who it _isn’t._ He says he’ll meet her for breakfast and does she want him to swing by and pick her up. No, she doesn’t think that’s such a good idea. She’ll ask her brother Shawn to drive her, her sister Maggie will pry into why Jimmy isn’t picking her up, and she’s never been good at keeping things from her sister.

Two hours later and she’s watching Jimmy’s face twist in confusion as she tells that him she wants to break up. Across from him in the booth she can practically hear the cogs turning as he simply stares at her for an uncomfortably long time. Her fingers tighten around her coffee cup as she waits for the shock to wear off and the words to sink in.

“Is this because of when we did it?” Jimmy asks, leaning forward and lowering his voice to a whisper.

Beth’s mouth falls open but no words come out.

“Because if you’re not ready – we can wait,” He says earnestly.

_Oh. But I’m ready for so much more than you can give me._

Beth shakes her head quickly.

“It’s not you, it’s me,” She explains and immediately cringes at how cliché that sounds.

But it _isn’t_ him. He’s a good boyfriend. He’s kind and attentive. He’s everything a girl could ask for. He’s just not what she wants. She doesn’t know why, all she knows is that he isn’t. And she didn’t even realise until what she does want knocked on Rick’s door and glared at her. Now she’s wanting in ways she didn’t know were possible and she can’t seem to stop.

Jimmy is frowning deeply, but Beth thinks he looks more confused than upset. His expression is unchanged when they leave the diner twenty minutes later after a few awkward questions that only served to confound him further.

_Was it something he did?_

No.

_Was it something he didn’t do?_

No.

_Does she still want to go to prom together?_

No.

He doesn’t ask her if there’s someone else, as though the notion hasn’t even _occurred_ to him, and she isn’t sure how to feel about that. She settles on feeling grateful that she doesn’t have to lie to him.

Because there is someone else. Or at least she thinks that there could be.

And now she is free to find out.

* * *

   
The rest of the weekend is uneventful in comparison. When she gets back from the diner, Beth takes Nervous Nelly out for a long ride to clear her head. After that she gives Nelly a thorough grooming and mucks out the stalls. By the time she’s done Mama is starting on dinner and she helps out. She spends the evening tinkering on the piano, playing songs she hasn’t played in a while and figuring out a few new ones. After Church, she spends the whole of Sunday helping her daddy and Shawn with repairs to the barn. By the evening her body aches from a hard day’s work and her mind is wonderfully clear from thinking as little as possible.

She’s just sunken into a hot bath when her phone vibrates against the bathroom tiles, the screen glowing in the candle lit room.  
  
Reaching down, she grabs it on the third ring and very nearly drops it in her lap when she reads Daryl's name on the screen.  
  
She hesitates for a moment before sliding her finger across the screen to answer the call.  
  
"Daryl. Hi."  
  
"Hey," His voice is low and gritty in her ears, sending a shiver of excitement down the back of her neck.  
  
"Was wonderin’ when I'd hear from you," She says softly as a smile works its way across her face.  
  
There's a pause on the other end of the line that makes Beth’s heart beat faster.  
  
"Wasn't sure if you-"  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't text you back," She interrupts, "I wanted to. I jus’ needed to do somethin’ first."  
  
Daryl grunts and she imagines his tongue flicking out to wet his lips. She remembers the feel of them, surprisingly soft, against her mouth, her throat, her…  
  
"I can't stop thinkin’ about you," He murmurs.  
  
The smile on Beth’s face stretches impossibly wild. Butterflies erupt in her stomach and she tightens her grip on the phone as her entire body thrums with excitement.  
  
"Yeah? What you been thinkin’?" She asks as she sinks down into the tub.  
  
"Been thinkin’ ‘bout how smart you are,” He says, rough voice rumbling through the receiver and into her bones, “An’ beautiful."  
  
Beth hums as a flush spreads across her cheeks, "Anythin’ else?"

There’s a pause that makes Beth hold her breath.  
  
"Been thinkin’ ‘bout how good it felt bein’ inside you," He says thickly.  
  
Beth inhales sharply and clutches the side of the bath. Her elbow knocks the dog eared paperback balanced precariously on the edge into the tub with a splash.

She gasps, sitting up and reaching into the water, "Oh shit!"  
  
Daryl grunts, "What was that?"  
  
"I jus’ dropped my book," She sighs, pulling a face and shaking the pages out over the side.  
  
"Sounded like water," He says and she imagines his brow furrowing in confusion behind his wild hair.  
  
"I'm in the bath," Beth explains distractedly as she gives up and lets the drowned novel fall onto the bath mat.

The line goes silent.  
  
“Daryl?”  
  
“Girl, you're gonna be the death of me,” He finally responds with a heavy exhale.    
  
Beth snorts.  
  
She listens to him draw in a tight breath before clearing his throat roughly.  
  
"Tha's quite an image," He murmurs, voice thicker than before and stroking down Beth’s spine like a physical touch.  
  
"One you'd like to see?" She asks and her heart immediately starts to pound because she can’t believe she just said that.  
  
Daryl exhales heavily against the receiver.

"Girl, I wanna see as much of you as possible, clothes on or off," He all but growls.

Beth’s pounding heart soars.  
  
"How ‘bout this Friday?" She says as the idea pops into her head, "I ain't babysittin’"  
  
"Friday’s good," Daryl answers quickly, "What d’you wanna do?"  
  
Beth's mouth twists, fingers tracing circles on her navel. What _does_ she wanna do?  
  
"I could come over to your place," She suggests, "Order food or somethin’"  
  
She definitely has _somethin’_ in mind and it isn't food.  
  
"Alright," Daryl says after a short pause, “Sounds good.”    
  
"Okay," Beth grins, her whole body buzzing with excitement, "Text me your address.”

* * *

  
Beth’s week drags by waiting for Friday to arrive. Even more so when the news that she and Jimmy have broken up makes its way around school. Guys are suddenly looking at her for a little longer and girls are asking her what’s wrong with Jimmy, he seems so nice. After what feels like an eternity, Friday finally arrives. She spends an hour picking out an outfit that looks casual, but not too casual, and doesn’t make her look too young, but doesn’t make her look like she’s trying to look older. For the first time in her life, Beth lies to her parents. She tells them she’s going to a party and will stay at a friend’s afterwards. They smile and tell her to have a nice time, does she need a lift? She gets her daddy to drop her off at a house where there is a party happening tonight and orders an Uber while waving goodbye. Her stomach somersaults as she slides into the backseat.

Her heart is pounding in her chest by the time the driver pulls up to Daryl’s building. Stepping out of the car, she recognises the pizza place on the corner as the one that Glenn works at. She doesn’t think she’s ever been to this part of town before. Her eyes swing over to Daryl’s building and there he is, sat on the steps, smoking a cigarette.  
  
Her heart stutters when their eyes catch and he rises to his feet, dropping the cigarette and crushing it under his boot as he steps forwards.

“Hey,” He nods, darting eyes rippling as he takes her in.

Beth beams back at him, “Hey.”

His piercing blue eyes track her face and she lets her own eyes wander. He’s wearing dark jeans and a plain t-shirt that clings to his shoulders in a way that makes Beth’s stomach flip. His hair is a little fluffy and he smells faintly of soap. When he swallows, she follows the line of his throat down to his jutting collar bones. She had forgotten just how _big_ he is as her eyes drift across his chest.

“You wanna come up?” He asks, a small crease forming on his brow as a beat passes and he waits for her to answer.

“Yeah, I do,” She nods eagerly.

The relief on his face is instant, brow smoothing as his mouth twitches and he turns towards the building. He holds the door open for her and she takes a deep breath as she steps through it. She follows him up the stairs and they climb them in silence, Beth’s gaze drifting around the stairwell curiously. When they reach the second floor Daryl stops and pulls his key from his back pocket. He holds the door open and Beth smiles at him as she follows him through it.

“Wow you're really tidy!” Beth says, looking around, “My brother Shawn is a total slob, there'd be pizza boxes _everywhere.”_

Daryl bites his thumb, watching her as she shrugs off her jacket and slips out of her shoes.

“So, did you wanna order some food an’ watch a movie?” He asks, burying his hands in his pockets like he doesn’t know what to do with them.

Beth turns to Daryl and raises an eyebrow.

“So, like, Netflix and chill?” She flashes him a teasing smile.

Daryl frowns, “Huh?”

“You know, it's what people say when they invite you over to _hang out_ but really they jus’ wanna _have sex_ ,” She explains with a laugh.

Daryl's eyes flare as he stares back at her. 

“Can we get Chinese?” Beth asks, tilting her head at Daryl's frozen expression.

“Daryl?” She prompts when he continues to stare at her blankly, nostrils flaring.

“Yeah. Yeah, sure,” He starts suddenly, tongue flicking out as he digs in his pocket for his phone.  
  
After asking Beth what she likes to eat, Daryl ends up ordering nearly half the take out menu. He grunts dismissively when she offers to pay half as he sits on the couch and retrieves the remote from down the side. Beth perches on the edge of the cushion next to him as he brings up the movie channels.  They quickly decide to put on the film that's premiering that week, which neither of them have seen, and are less than thirty minutes in when the door buzzes.

The movie is quickly forgotten as Daryl sets out their steaming food on the coffee table. Beth grabs a pair of chopsticks and digs in, not realising how hungry she was until the smell of sweet and sour fills her nose.

She’s busy chasing three spring rolls with half a carton of egg friend rice and four slices of sesame prawn toast when she glances up to find Daryl staring at her.

“What? Do I have somethin’ on my face?” Beth asks, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

Daryl shakes his head.

“You eat,” He states, sounding surprised.

“Um yeah, I also walk and talk,” Beth grins, reaching for another spring roll.

Daryl huffs a laugh, “I've never seen a girl eat like that.”

“Oh,” Beth freezes, eyes dropping to the spring roll in her hand.

“No, I like it,” Daryl says quickly, “You're not tryin’ to impress me by pretendin’ to be somethin you're not.”

“You're not impressed?” Beth asks with a teasing smile.

The corner of Daryl’s mouth slides up, “I am.”

“‘Cause I ain't tryin’?” Beth grins, leaning back on the couch.

“Somethin’ like that,” He murmurs, eyes dropping to her mouth. 

“What if I tried to impress you?” Beth asks, turning her body to face him and tilting her head back to give him a challenging stare.

Daryl narrows his eyes at her, lips twitching.

As his hot blue pools burn into hers a simmering heat is ignited at the base of her spine and it makes her want to be a little bold.

“I don't think-“

Beth crosses her arms over her body and grabs the hem of her top, then pulls it up and over her head in one smooth motion, exposing her naked chest.

The atmosphere changes in an instant. The smirk falls from Daryl's face and is replaced by flickering eyes and flaring nostrils.

“Careful, girl,” He murmurs, voice dangerously low and rough as it scrapes out of his throat.

“You don't like what you see?” She asks, heart pounding as she holds his gaze and straightens her spine. On a deep inhale, her chest expands towards him, pink nipples tightening into hard peaks as a shiver runs down her spine.

“I like it a little too much,” Daryl growls, shifting in his seat as his eyes roam across her torso, “Might not be able to hold myself back.”

“Don't hold back,” Beth says, voice firm, and his eyes snap back up to hers.

“Beth-“

She edges closer, pushing up on her knees and bringing her bare chest level with his face.

“Don't. Hold. Back,” She repeats as his shuddering exhale blasts across her sternum.

Daryl stares at her for a tense moment, eyes flickering wildly as they remain locked deliberately on her face. Then his gaze drops like a stone to the delicate, pert breasts in front of him.

When he suddenly pushes up on his knees, Beth’s breath catches in her throat and her eyes grow wide as she watches his hands fall to his belt and tug it open. Shoving his jeans down, he reaches into his boxers and pulls out his hard cock.

Beth stares at the sight of his erection as it bobs between them, straining with his barely caged need for her. There's a beat and then she's diving forward and taking it in her open mouth. Daryl groans brokenly as she wraps her soft lips around him, sliding down his thick length until his cockhead nudges the back of her throat and makes her eyes water.

She did this once for Jimmy on his birthday. She remembers kneeling between his legs and taking his half hard cock in her mouth. His hands had remained at his sides and he'd been so quiet she'd looked up to see if he was enjoying it. His eyes were closed, brow slightly furrowed like he was concentrating. _On what?_ She'd wondered. Things had got a little more interesting when he'd finished with a grunt, spilling his cum in her mouth. He'd thanked her and told her it was ok to spit it out, because swallowing was _slutty._

Things couldn't be more different with Daryl. His hand is tangled in her hair and he's fucking in and out of her mouth like it's her cunt, making moan after delicious moan. When she looks up he's watching her with wild eyes, nostrils flaring as they connect with hers.

" _Jesus Christ_ , girl," He gasps, "You're gonna destroy me."

Beth’s lips curl around his twitching cock. She sucks harder and harder until Daryl whimpers and his hand tightens in her hair sending pricks of pain burning across her scalp. He yanks her head back until she slides off his cock with a wet pop.

“Turn around,” He growls and she doesn’t hesitate.

His huge hands shove her skirt up to her waist before reaching between her legs. Beth whines as his thick fingertips rub across her aching clit.

After finding her wet enough to slide his fingers through the evidence of her arousal, Daryl roughly pulls her legs apart and slams his cock between them, burying himself deep inside her tight cunt.

Beth cries out as he slips between her tight walls, aided by the wetness of her mouth and her desire for him. Her entire body trembles from the intensity of the sudden stretch as she’s stuffed full with his solid heat.  
  
Daryl lets out a strained moan like he's been punched and Beth turns to look back at him over her shoulder.  
  
" _Fuck_ ," He gasps, his fingers twitching where they're curled around her upper thighs as he pulls them further apart.  
  
A deep flush colours his face and neck as he eases back out of her, chest heaving with his laboured breaths. His eyes connect with hers just as he fucks into her again, and her mouth falls open as the breath is driven from her lungs by the force of his thrust.

She sees the doubt flicker across his lust blown eyes and doesn’t let it settle. Arching her back, she brings her thighs flush against his and moans as the angle drags his cock across the back of her clit.

His eyes scan her face and he growls deeply at the pleasure he finds there. He drags his cock out almost to the tip before slamming back into her, building up a relentless rhythm spurred on by her moans as he pounds into her again and again. He’s pounding into her _hard_ , so hard her pussy throbs and sings in sweet agony. Beth is teetering on the brink of overstimulation. Her ears are filled with the pounding of her own heart and Daryl’s ragged pants. Her clit pulses like it’s going to explode any second and her pussy burns from throbbing.

Suddenly, Daryl brings his palm down across her ass-cheek with a resounding slap. Beth's skin burns hot and her walls pull tight just as he thrusts inside her.

" _Oh my God_ ," Beth moans.

"You like that?" Daryl pants as he pistons in and out of her.

"Yes, _oh God_ , yes," She gasps.

Daryl grunts and his hand comes down to strike the other cheek, making Beth's walls tighten again on impact.

" _Christ_ ," He moans as he forces himself inside her constricting hole.

"Daryl, I'm gonna-" Beth cries as his cock drags across the back of her clit and her thighs start to shake.

Daryl's huge hand presses down on the small of her back, holding her in place as he jackhammers into her fluttering cunt.  
  
"That's it, girl, that's it, wanna feel you come," He groans as her walls tremble around his cock.

His next brutal thrust strikes something inside Beth that makes her clit burn with the raw intensity of the sensation. She screams as her walls clutch and she comes so hard her eyes water.

“Oh fuck, fuck, _fuck,”_ Daryl roars, hips shuddering as his cock is caught in the hold of her violently orgasming cunt.  
  
His fingers tighten on her hips hard enough to bruise and he howls as his cock swells and bursts, releasing an explosion of come inside her.  
  
Daryl falls forward with a groan and presses his lips against the nape of her neck. He stays there, panting against her skin as he tries to catch his breath.  
  
Beth whimpers into the couch cushion as her hold on his cock loosens and he slowly drags himself out from between her swollen, pulsing lips _._ Her stuttering breaths fall in line with his and she anchors herself to the feel of his chest pressed against her back as hot and cold shivers pulse through her liquid body.

 _“Jesus Fucking Christ,"_ An unfamiliar voice rasps, snapping her abruptly back into consciousness.

Beth looks up through half lidded eyes to see an older man with Daryl's cheekbones and piercing blue eyes standing in the doorway.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rattled by the night's interruptions, Daryl is intent on making it up to Beth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who nominated and voted for me in the Moonshine Awards, and to Ultimate Bethyl Fic List for organising the whole thing! I've actually only been writing for a little over a year and it's really amazing to know that people are reading and enjoying what I write <3
> 
> So, this story just keeps growing!!! I'm a little worried that I'm gonna end up splitting the next chapter into two because, as someone pointed out, Daryl is gonna need to give Beth a ride home, and, well, we all know how that goes ;)

“What the fuck Merle?!” Daryl spits as he steps off the couch and in front of Beth, shielding her from view.

She watches his muscles ripple under his t-shirt as his hands tighten into fists at his sides. _As though he’s preparing to defend himself_ , Beth thinks uneasily.

 “Didn't think you had it in you, baby brother,” Merle huffs a dry laugh, and his rasping voice drags Beth's wide eyed gaze up and over Daryl's shoulder. The man in the door way looks much older, and much _rougher_ , than Daryl, but the family resemblance is unmistakable.

“You need to leave,” Daryl growls as he yanks his jeans up. Beth rises to her knees and edges closer to him, trying to stay hidden behind his broad shoulders as Merle's penetrating gaze seeks her out.

“Sure thing, soon as blondie here sorts me out I'll be on my way,” The older man hums, adjusting his cock through his jeans and running his tongue across his teeth. Daryl’s broad shoulders bristle as Merle cranes his neck to look at Beth. She leans in closer until her chest presses against his back and he inhales sharply as her peaked nipples drag across his back through his shirt.

“She ain't a whore,” Daryl grates out through gritted teeth.

"No?" Merle’s eyebrows fly up in surprise. Beth feels her cheeks grow hot as he gives her an appraising look before flicking his switchblade stare back to Daryl, "Then why you fuckin' her like one?"

Beth’s stomach drops out through the balls of her feet as Daryl's back suddenly goes rigid where she's pressed against it.

“Get _OUT!”_ He barks with the volatile rage of a cornered dog.

“Alright, alright,” Merle holds his hands up as a smirk twists his face, “I'll head over to O'Malley’s, come back in the mornin'.”

He pulls the door open and then pauses as he’s about to step through it.

“She's a little young for _my_ tastes anyhow,” He throws over his shoulder and Beth feels the words catch in Daryl’s chest.

The door slams with Merle on the other side of it and the apartment is plunged into startling silence except for the barely-there sound of Daryl's ragged breaths. He's dragging shallow pants in and out of his lungs as his fists rapidly clench and unclench at his sides. The muscles of his back vibrate against Beth’s chest with the force of his contained anger, seething just below the surface.  
  
Beth feels strangely calm. Maybe because Daryl is so clearly rattled, and her concern for him outweighs the mortification she ought to feel. Or maybe because the whole experience passed so suddenly and was so surreal that it almost feels like it didn't actually happen.  
  
In front of her, Daryl looks about ready to jump out of his own skin. She bites her bottom lip as her eyes watch his fists clench and unclench as though he can’t stop them. Slowly, she reaches out and covers his hand with hers, stroking her fingers gently across his knuckles. He freezes and slowly turns. His head sinks low between his shoulders when he sees her and his piercing blue gaze darts across her face. He looks like he’s searching for cues he could live or die by.

“Beth, I'm sorry,” He says quietly, sounding pained. She can see the guilt weighing heavily on his shoulders, making him look younger somehow. 

“It wasn’t your fault,” She tells him softly, wiggling her fingers inside his fist and lacing them with his, “It's okay.”

He looks down to stare at their connected hands for a moment.

“It's not,” He murmurs, brow furrowing as he frowns at their laced fingers. His gaze drifts up to look at her hesitantly through his hair and the eyes that connect with hers are wounded, jumping with the nerves that refuse to settle and continue to jangle beneath his skin.

“The way he talked to you... an’ he was right, the way I was fuckin’ you...”

“I liked it,” She says, tilting her head to meet his gaze head on.

Daryl's head snaps up from between his shoulders to search her face, eyes drowning in confusion.

Beth sighs.

“Everyone's always tryin’ to look after me,” She explains, jaw tightening with a long held frustration, “Always treatin’ me like I'm so _helpless_ and _weak_.”

His jumping eyes still as his face pulls into a frown.

 “Except you,” She continues, causing Daryl’s chest to expand with a breath that he doesn’t release right away. 

“You treat me like... a person, _an equal_ , an’ I like that. It makes me feel strong,” She says, face breaking into a small smile.

Daryl’s hand comes up to stroke her face, his anger gone and replaced by something like bewildered awe. Beth pushes up on her knees to close the distance between them and softly presses her lips against his. His eyes flutter closed and she lets hers do the same as his thick fingers card through her hair to hold her face against his.

It's their first kiss of the evening and she melts into his mouth as it parts beneath hers. He kisses her slow and deep, exploring her mouth without hunger or heat, but filled with another kind of need. She feels the way his touch tells her the things he can’t say as his hand tangles in her hair and his lips move against hers, a soft moan spilling from his mouth into hers. 

When they part for air, Beth’s eyes flutter open to find Daryl staring back at her. She smiles, heart stuttering at the expression of complete rapture on his face. For the first time tonight his eyes are steady as they hold hers.

As Beth leans back, she feels her thighs stick together with the mixture of come, both hers and his, that is coating the skin between her legs. All of a sudden her hair and face start to feel hot and clammy. Not surprising considering she was already sweaty from the summer heat when she got here. She feels uncomfortable in a way that only a hot shower can fix.

Daryl’s brow creases slightly as he watches her face and notices her growing unease. There's a question in his eyes as they lock with hers.  
  
"Um, would it be ok if I washed up?” Beth asks, “Like used your shower or somethin'?"

She cringes a little at whether that's an ok thing to ask or not. But when she's with Daryl she feels like she can be herself, that it's ok with him. That he’d rather she be comfortable than try to impress him, and she genuinely thinks he’d be appalled if she did the latter. Their evening has only just started and she doesn’t want to spend the rest of it feeling grimy and uncomfortable in her own skin.  
  
There's a beat and then he blinks back at her, as though he's not sure he heard her correctly.  
  
"Uh, yeah, of course," He nods, still seeming a little confused.  
  
"Thanks," Beth smiles, picking up her top and holding it across her bare chest.  
  
"I feel kinda gross from cheerleading practise earlier," She says, wrinkling her nose.  
  
Daryl eyes pulse as he stares at her and she doesn't miss the way his chest heaves with a deep inhale.    
  
"It's jus' down the hall," He rumbles before clearing his throat, and nodding past the kitchen.

“Show me,” She says, lip catching between her teeth as her eyes burn into his. She doesn’t want to be apart from him for a single moment if she can help it.

Daryl ducks his head as he lets out a shaky exhale that makes Beth’s heart pound. She watches the line of his cheekbones sharpen as he clenches his jaw. His tongue flicks out as he nods and then turns, leading the way.

Beth’s heart is hammering against the back of her ribs as he pushes the door to the bathroom open. He remains stood at the threshold, gnawing at the inside of his bottom lip and very purposefully not looking at Beth.

The way he’s so affected at the very _thought_ of her in his shower makes Beth feel powerful. Her entire body is buzzing and she imagines this is what being drunk must feel like. It makes her feel bold.  

Walking past him and into the bathroom, Beth slips out of her skirt and steps straight into the shower.

Turning around, she turns the water on and gasps when an icy stream cascades down her back.

“That feels amazin',” She groans before lifting her half-lidded gaze to Daryl.

He's staring at her from where he's still stood in the doorway, thumb caught between his teeth with the same awed look on his face from before. He looks a little lost and it strikes Beth that despite the difference in age she’s the one in charge here. Her eyes lock with his and she doesn’t miss the way his breath stutters.

“You gonna join me or what?” She asks, tipping her head back into the stream. A coy smile twists her mouth as her heart pounds with anticipation. _What if he doesn’t join her? What if he does??_

Daryl's chest puffs out as he draws in a deep breath, eyes darkening where they connect with hers. His tongue flicks out to run across his bottom lip as he hesitates for a moment. There’s a beat. Two. A third that makes Beth’s heart crawl up into her throat. And then he’s stepping into the room and pushing the door closed behind him.

Beth grins as he steps towards her, hands falling to pop the button on his jeans and push them past his hips. Her eyes fall to his half hard cock as it sways heavily between his legs. She can feel him watching her with rapt fascination before he pulls his shirt up and over his head. Her hungry eyes drift slowly up his chest; solid muscles decorated with coarse hairs that mark him as a man not a boy.

A flush colours Beth’s face when their eyes meet and she watches his gaze drop to follow the heat on her skin as it pours down her neck and chest. He steps under the spray and leans forward to press his lips against her throat. The scratch of his stubbled jaw against her skin sends a hot shiver down Beth’s naked body.

"Y're so beautiful," He murmurs against her pulse point, causing it to pump wildly under his mouth. His tongue flicks out to swirl across her skin and she shivers with want, tilting her head to the side as he does it again. He’s barely touching her and she’s already fast unravelling. He’s so good with his mouth, with his fingers; so _experienced_ at this that it makes her feel a little insecure.

"I'm sure you say that to all the girls," Beth laughs nervously. She so wants this to be real, to be more than just sex, but she’s scared to believe it at the same time. She wants to think that their connection is more than just physical, but when she’s offering her body up to him like this, why should he want anything more?

Daryl pulls back suddenly to look at her, face pulling into a deep frown.

"There ain't no other girls," He says as he shakes his head and his eyes pour into hers.

"I never had a girl over to my apartment before," He contends as his hands circle her waist.

"Never got in the shower with a girl," He continues, stroking his fingers slowly up her back.

" _Oh_ ," Beth's eyes flare with surprise and from the sudden shiver that runs down her spine.

"Never had a girl get me hard jus' by lookin’ at me," He growls, ducking his head to mouth at the hollow of her throat.

Beth lets her head fall back against the tiles as her entire body grows hot and needy at the promise of his words and his body.

“This's all new to me,” She moans softly, “I never came _like that_ before.”

Daryl groans deep in the back of his throat and then sucks the sensitive skin of her neck into his hot mouth.

“Before you,” Beth says breathlessly.

Daryl stills against her skin and she hears him inhale sharply. His huge hand comes up to stroke her wet hair away from her forehead. When he pulls back just enough to meets her gaze he's looking at her in a way nobody's ever looked at her before; with eyes so open it’s as though she can see right into his soul. And suddenly what they're doing doesn't feel like sex anymore, not just. It feels like something more, like he's trying to tell her something with his body. And she can _hear_ him.

She can hear his feverish intent in every press of his lips and every flick of his tongue.

That there may have been girls before but it hasn't been like this. That this is something more. That this means something to him.

He's so determined to make her feel it that her entire body is trembling under the intensity of his mouth as he worships her skin inch by inch.

Daryl slowly mouths his way across her collar bone and down her chest, hot tongue coming out to taste her skin as though he’s committing it to memory. Beth pants sharply as his head dips between her breasts and she feels his coarse stubble rub against her soft mounds. He tilts his head back to take her left nipple in his mouth and suck until she moans as it tightens into a hard point against his tongue. He does the same with her right, his hands sliding down her back to cup her ass and squeeze as she moans again.

When he releases her peaked nub, flushed pink from the attention of his hot mouth, he licks a slow line down her midriff to her navel. Dropping to his knees, he mouths his way down her abdomen to the apex of her thighs. He continues his slow descent over the blonde curls of her mound, making the hair’s on the back of Beth’s neck stand on end. Beth gasps and her hands fly up to tangle in his hair as his lips suddenly close around her clit.

“Oh my _God_ ,” She moans as he sucks on her hood and draws her sensitive nub into his mouth.

Throwing her head back against the shower tiles with a thud, she parts her thighs as they shake under the onslaught of his tongue. As she grants him better access, Daryl eagerly widens his mouth and licks deep between her lips.

As the flat of his tongue rubs her clit Beth keens and his eyes fly up to connect with hers. She fights to keep her eyes open and locked with his as he sucks her clit again and her hips shudder with the intensity of the sensation. Her hands fist in his hair, clinging to him for dear life as he pushes his tongue between her lips and towards her centre. Burying his face in her cunt, he slides his tongue inside her quivering hole.

She keens high and needy when he curls his hot tongue inside her. Her walls flutter and clutch around him as his nose nudges her clit and he sucks and licks hungrily at her hole. When she keens again and tightens her hands in his hair he mouths his way back up to her clit, quickly replacing his tongue with his fingers inside her.

“ _Daryl_ ,” She moans as her walls flutter around his thick fingers, “Daryl, _oh_ _Daryl_.”

She keeps repeating his name like it’s the only word she knows, growing in desperation until it’s gasping from her lips like she’s calling out for God.

With his eyes burning into hers he simultaneously curls his fingers and tongues at her clit. Beth’s hips rock forward of their own volition, smothering his face with her pulsing cunt. She starts to moan and she finds she can’t stop as she feverishly grinds against his mouth and his fingers.

Every time they’ve had sex he’s made her feel things she's never felt before and this time is no different. First with his fingers and then his cock, he made her pussy sing for him, and now his mouth is showing her something else entirely. With his soft lips on hers and his hot tongue exploring her folds he takes her apart.

It’s like she doesn’t know her own cunt as hot rivulets of pleasure ricochet from his mouth across her pussy and up her spine. It’s almost too much as her clit pulses wildly and her walls tremble, building with a white hot heat that threatens to burn her up. He slows at just the moment she thinks she can’t cope and starts up again when she can take it, somehow always knowing how far to push her until she’s teetering on the brink. Until finally he pushes her over the edge and it’s like an awakening as her orgasm rattles through her with all the ferocity of the sea.  A litany of new sensations crash over her like a wave and she tightens her hold on him, her anchor in a deep sea of pleasure.

Daryl’s eyes are dark and wild as he twists his digits inside her and his tongue flutters against her clit. Beth arches off the titles and into the spray as she comes, shuddering uncontrollably against his open mouth. Her eyes slam shut and she cries out his name one last time, hands sliding down to grab his shoulders and push him away from her twitching cunt when the sensations become too much to bear.

Panting unevenly into the steam filled air, Beth feels Daryl press his forehead to her stomach. Her eyes drift downwards and her fingers come up to card through his hair. He nuzzles his face into her soft belly and hums as her fingertips drag across his scalp. With a gentle tug Beth tilts his head back and when he looks up at her his mouth is shining wet with more than just water. Seeing her slick smeared across his swollen pink lips and flushed cheeks sends a fresh jolt of heat flaring across her pelvis.

The eyes that meet hers are rippling like the sea, pupils blown so wide with lust they look nearly black. For a moment he looks up at her and he's asking for something again, some kind of permission or reassurance or acceptance from her. When Beth smiles he finds what he’s looking for and slowly rises to his feet in front of her.

Beth lays her palms on his heaving chest and feels his hard cock nudge her belly.

She reaches down to close her hand around his straining length and he starts, eyes widening.

"Girl, you don't gotta-" He rasps and the roughness of his voice nearly takes Beth’s breath away.

Reaching up, she throws her arms around his neck and pulls herself up his wet body. Daryl’s hands fly up to grab her ass as she clings to his thick shoulders and wraps her legs around his waist.

"I want you inside me," She whispers in his ear.

That is all the encouragement Daryl needs. There's a beat and then he’s surging forward, grabbing her thighs and nailing her to the cool tiles.

Beth gasps as he plunges deep inside her fluttering walls with a brutal thrust. Her clit throbs with pleasure on the edge of pain as his hips desperately rut against hers. She slides up and down the wet tiles with the force of his thrusts and it’s not long before he's groaning against her throat and spilling himself deep inside her.

Beth’s legs tighten around him and he pulls back to look at her, water running down his face as the stream pours against his back. His eyes seem bluer surrounded by water as they search hers. She pulls him closer with her arms and with her feet crossed behind his back, covering his mouth with hers where she’s pressed between his heaving chest and the tiles.

Daryl suddenly grunts into her mouth, hands tightening around her thighs as the water runs cold. He lifts her slowly off his cock eliciting a whimper from them both and lowers her to stand on shaky legs. Beth drags a hand across her wet face and smiles up at him sheepishly as he reaches over to turn the water off.

“Y’alright?” He rumbles as she remains plastered to the wall, not quite trusting her jelly legs to hold her up just yet.

The eyes searching her face still when her smile grows into a grin.

“That was so good, Daryl, I don’t think I can _walk,_ ” She gushes, cheeks flushing.

Daryl's lips part as his face slowly suffuses with red. She hears him drag in a shuddering breath that he pushes out slowly before he leans forward and presses his lips softly against hers. His hand comes up to stroke her cheek and when he pulls back his eyes hold hers for a lingering moment. He looks like he wants to say something, but he’s silent as his thumb drifts down to run across her bottom lip, fingers curling around her jaw. Beth's lips part around his thumb as she holds his gaze, eyes burning back into his. His tongue flicks out and then he blinks as he moves his hand away. Beth's head falls forward, following his touch as he turns and steps out of the shower.

As he turns around, her eyes catch on a series of scars marred deep into the tissue of his back. The fucked out haze of her orgasm clears in an instant; all she can think about is the pain etched into Daryl's skin and how it got there. Who _put_ it there.

On Bambi legs she follows him out of the shower. He grabs a couple of towels from the other side of the room before turning back. Beth suddenly sees his darting gaze in a whole new light as she takes the proffered towel and wraps it around herself. She smiles up at him and blinks back hot tears when his lips twitch back with a small smile.

She watches him drag the towel across his body as he roughly brings himself from dripping to damp before tying the sheet around his waist.

His eyes drift up to meet hers, piercing even from behind the damp hair plastered to his forehead.

“You want me to drive you home?” Daryl asks, hand coming up to his mouth as he watches Beth wring her hair out over one shoulder.

Beth shakes her head, hands stilling as her eyes connect with his. She doesn’t want to leave and she doesn’t think he wants her to either. She thinks he’s offering because, like in the kitchen, now that she’s had her needs met he can’t understand what might keep her here any longer. Her heart aches a little at that. That he's so used to people taking from him and giving nothing back.  
  
Beth has been so wrapped up in the powerful feeling she gets when they're together that it never occurred to her that she might also have the power to hurt him. For all his years and all his strength he looks vulnerable now standing in front of her. It strikes Beth that he’s sharing more than just his body by being naked with her like this and there’s an uncertainty in his gait as though he’s readily expecting her to turn away from him.

But Beth she has no intention of turning away. He doesn’t know that yet. But he will.

“You got a shirt I can sleep in?” She asks, running her fingers through the wet strands.

Daryl’s eyes flicker back at hers, “You wanna stay?”

“If that's okay,” Beth says, mouth curling up at the expression of unrestrained joy dawning on Daryl’s face.

He nods quickly.

“Yeah, girl, that’s more’n ok,” He murmurs, small smile taking root on his face.

She follows him out of the bathroom and down the hall. When they cross the threshold into Daryl's bedroom the atmosphere changes in an instant.

The moment she sees the double bed her heart starts to race. He's bringing her into his bedroom but she's pretty sure he isn't expecting to have sex with her. _So, what does he expect?_ Beth's stomach pulls tight with nerves. They're not here to fuck, so what happens now? Despite all the orgasms they’ve shared, this suddenly feels very intimate. This suddenly feels very _real._  
  
She watches with rapt fascination as Daryl lets the towel fall from his waist and grabs a pair of boxer shorts from a drawer. He’s turned sideways so that his back isn't facing her and Beth wonders if it's because of his scars. Opening another drawer, he pulls out a vest and drags it over his chest. Then he pulls out a t-shirt and turns. Beth's heart rate climbs as his blue eyes connect with hers and he steps forwards, holding the t-shirt out to her.  
  
"Thanks," She says, a little breathlessly, smiling nervously as she reaches out and takes it.  
  
Her fingers brush his as they close around the cotton and her heart threatens to beat its way out of her chest.  
  
It's silly, but she isn't sure what to do now. Just dropping her towel feels a little brazen, given the current mood. He's seen her naked, but that was in the heat of the moment and cocooned in water. This is different.  
  
Her fingers tighten on the cotton.  
  
Daryl's eyes search her face for a moment. He looks as nervous as she feels, as though he isn't sure what to do either.  
  
"You, uh, want some water?" He asks, before clearing his throat.  
  
Beth's mouth suddenly feels bone dry.  
  
"Yes, that'd be great," She says quickly, holding the t-shirt to her chest.  
  
Daryl nods, glancing at the shirt before walking out of the room.  
  
Without him there, Beth lets her towel drop to the floor and pulls the t-shirt over her head quickly. It's huge, falling down to the middle of her thighs and has some band she hasn't heard of the on the front, but it's soft from wear and encompasses her like a hug. She pads over to the bed and slips under the covers. They smell like Daryl which is comforting and her eyes instantly feel heavy as she nestles back against the pillow.  
  
A few minutes later Daryl returns. He stops at the doorway for a moment, darting eyes zeroing in on her under the covers. His eyes flicker behind his hair for a moment before he crosses the room.

He sets one bottle of water down on the night stand but keeps the other in his hands. His eyes search her face, tongue coming out to wet his lips.

"I can go sleep on the couch," He says, fingers picking at the label on the bottle.

Beth's brow pulls into a frown.

"Don't," She says simply, for want of better words and completely unfiltered as it comes out of her mouth. But it seems to be enough to make Daryl's fingers still.

His eyes aren't just searching hers now, they're _asking_ again, like they did back in the bathroom. And suddenly something clicks and she _gets_ it.  

"I wanna sleep with you," She says, and then blushes when she hears what she just said.

"I mean - not like sleep with you - well, we already kinda, so... but I jus' meant..." She flounders, hands curling around the edge of the comforter.

Daryl's lips twitch and his eyes shine with the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Ok,” He hums, holding her eyes for a moment as the corner of his mouth slides up. Beth beams back at him as he huffs a laugh and walks around to the other side of the bed. He places his water on the nightstand and hesitates for a moment before pulling back the comforter and climbing into bed.

Beth turns her body to face him and feels butterflies explode in her stomach when he does the same.

A moment stretches between them. They’re so close that she can hear him when he takes a deep breath and feel his body shifting against the mattress. Then his hand comes up to smooth a loose hair away from her forehead and lingers on her cheek.

The eyes that search hers are burning with all the things he isn't saying.  _Maybe can't say,_ Beth thinks, the image of his back flashing in her mind. _Not with words, but his hands are always talking_ , she thinks as his fingertips trace the line of her jaw.

She smiles, the apple of her cheek pressing against his thumb.

"I had a really great time tonight,” She whispers, hoping her eyes are mirroring back the same intensity.

She thinks they might be when his still their searching, and his thumb starts to stroke back and forth across her cheek.

Blinking slowly back at him, Beth brings her hand up to cover his and doesn’t miss the way his mouth curls up at the edges.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the morning after for Beth and Daryl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to post this on Sunday, but it kept growing!! Anyway, I hope it's worth the wait <3

Beth wakes to find Daryl's strong arm slung across her waist and his chest pressed against her back. They didn't fall asleep like this, but somehow in the night their bodies sought each other out. She can feel his breath against her scalp where his face is buried in her hair and when she pushes back into the warmth of his body something hot and hard presses into the small of her back.

Daryl groans softly in response and, more confident in the space between sleep and waking, tightens his arm around her waist, pulling her close.

"Mornin', beautiful," He rumbles, his hot breath streaming across the back of her neck.

Beth turns to find Daryl's bright blue eyes blinking sleepily back at her, and just like that they're kissing.

His tongue is in her mouth and it's clear he doesn't mind her morning breath one bit as he kisses it out of her. Her hands slide up his chest to wrap around his neck and she pushes closer, pressing her body tightly against his. There's an ache between her legs that he awakened just by looking at her.

Their kiss grows hot and demanding as Daryl’s arms wrap around her and his hips rock forward, dragging his morning wood across her stomach. Beth moans into his mouth, pussy aching with the evidence of his want for her. He does it again, arms tightening around her as he bucks up into her tight little body and creates delicious friction. Her thighs clench together desperately as she feels the vibrations of his needy groan in her mouth. There are a few more aching moments of him thrusting up into the warmth of her body, making her pussy grows wetter and wetter, before he breaks the kiss with a gasp.

“I wanna fuck you,” He pants against her open mouth, eyes searching hers, “Please, can I?”

“ _Yes_ , oh God, you better,” She gasps against his cheek, hips rocking forward to meet his.

Daryl groans deeply as he surges forward and presses her into the mattress. She's parting her legs as he rolls between them, moaning as he pushes the t-shirt up her belly and his bare cock grazes her clit. With his face buried in her neck, his cock finds her entrance like a magnet and he wastes no time before pushing inside. Beth lets out a high moan, her body stretching and parting for him as he buries himself inside her tight walls. The sound of his broken moan against her skin makes her pussy tremble and grow even wetter.

They slot together effortlessly and when they are fused together as one writhing being Beth feels _complete_ , as though he was meant to be there. She knows how people might look at them, that because of her age he's _taking advantage_. But they couldn't be more wrong. He pours himself into her, filling her up until she's spilling over and doesn’t take anything at all; just gives with every fibre of his being.

He fucks her slow and deep, hands sliding down to cup her ass and pull her hard against him with each driving thrust _._ She moans against his throat and tilts her hips back to guide him deeper as he pounds between her legs. His hands are grabbing handfuls of her ass, squeezing her soft skin hard between his fingers, sandpaper jaw grating across her cheek with each snap of his hips.

“ _Fuck,_ I’m gonna come,” He moans on a deep thrust, hands tightening on her ass as his hips shudder against hers.

Beth's spine arches off the mattress when he hits _that spot_ just right. They come in unison; her pussy tightening around his cock as her thighs tighten around his waist and he empties himself inside her with a slow groan.

For a moment they just lie there, chests heaving together as Daryl breathes heavily against her neck and the aftershocks of their orgasms echo through their slack bodies.

When their breaths have become even and synchronised Daryl slowly pulls himself up just enough to blink down at her with unfocused eyes.

" _Wow_. Good mornin'," Beth laughs breathlessly, gazing up at him where he’s braced on his elbows above her.

He lets out a shaky breath, eyes sharpening as they track over her face. Beth soaks up the sight of him, nestled between her thighs with his cheeks deliciously flushed and hair wildly dishevelled, piercing blue eyes blazing when they trail back up to meet hers.

She's knows she's staring, but she can't stop, and she doesn't want to. When a small smile lights up his face at what he finds on hers she knows she's never seen anything so beautiful. She can hardly believe she's here in his bed, in nothing but his t-shirt, her pussy sticky with his come and her body slack from the orgasm he just gave her.

He looks a little at a loss of what to do, or say, and it only makes him all the more beautiful in Beth’s eyes when she realises he has _no idea_ how amazing he is.  

"I wanna stay in this bed all day," Beth sighs serenely, tilting her head back against the pillow.

Daryl’s eyes flicker back at hers and he swallows, tongue darting across his bottom lip.  
  
"So do it," He hums and then moves his way down her body, ducking his head to kiss her exposed stomach.

Beth giggles as his scruff tickles her soft belly.

When he kisses her belly button and flicks his tongue inside, Beth's stomach suddenly rumbles loudly in response.  
  
His eyes fly up to catch hers in surprise and her cheeks burn when they connect. She feels his soft lips smile against her skin as his blue eyes sparkle up at her from behind his hair.  
  
"C'mon," He says, leaning back, "Lemme make you some eggs."

Beth smiles as he slides backwards off the bed. Rolling over onto her front, she watches him dress, his huge arms flexing as he grabs a t-shirt and pulls it over his head.

He looks more relaxed than she's ever seen him; his brow completely smooth without its usual frown, lopsided smile tugging at his mouth. It makes him look younger somehow.

His gaze wanders over to the bed as he’s buttoning his jeans and stops when it lands on her. His chest heaves as his eyes drift up her stretched out body, huge t-shirt bunched at the waist exposing her bare ass and glistening thighs. Daryl lets himself stare for a moment, huge chest expanding against his t-shirt on a deep inhale, before he grunts and drags his gaze back to her face.

“C’mon,” He rumbles, tilting his head towards the door, “While I still got the resolve to let you outta my bed lookin’ like that.”

A laugh bursts from between Beth’s lips and her cheeks stretch around a wide smile. The cocky side of him she’d met at Rick’s catches her by surprise. She’s happy to see it return, a sure sign he’s growing more confident as they explore levels of intimacy that are new to them both. The sex and the orgasms have been incredible, but sleeping together, _just sleeping_ , has brought them even closer somehow. Since waking, there’s this physical intimacy and proximity _beyond_ sex that’s encompassing everything, as though they exist in their own little bubble now.

Sliding off the bed, Beth can’t help grinning as she steps forward and laces her fingers with his. Daryl’s eyes drop to their linked fingers for a moment before swinging back up to hers. He blinks, mouth twitching, and then leans forward, pressing his lips against hers. It’s a chaste kiss, just a simple press of lips to lips, but it makes Beth’s heart pound. When his hand tightens around hers, butterflies take flight in her stomach. This is the way he says he’s happy that she’s here. This is the way he tells her he wants more than just what’s between her legs. His body is always talking and Beth is tuned in to his touch.

Hand in hand they walk down the hall to the kitchen. When Daryl opens the fridge and pulls out a box of eggs, Beth spies the cartons of their forgotten dinner. He must have tidied it away when he went to get the water last night. She smiles; thinking of how much has changed between them since they sat two feet away from each other on the couch. Now they’re stood so close her hip bumps his as he puts the egg box down and turns to her. His eyes catch on her smile and it acts as a magnet, pulling his arms around her waist. She tilts her head up as he drags her flush against him and then covers her mouth with his.

Daryl’s huge, rough hands dip under the t-shirt she’s wearing – _his t-shirt-_ to curl around her ass and roughly squeeze her bare cheeks. Beth moans softly into his kiss as his fingertips nudge her lower lips and heat spreads like wildfire across her pelvis to pool at the base of her spine. She can’t believe how hot she is from his kiss, so needy from his touch, already aching for him to fuck her again.  
  
"You two at it again?" Merle's voice cracks through the room like thunder, startling Beth out of her lust-filled haze, "Never seen you use your dick so much in my whole damn life. You keep this up you're gonna wear it out, little brother."  
  
Beth feels Daryl go rigid against her, all of his muscles tensing instantly. His hands fly away from her ass like he’s been burned, quickly pulling the t-shirt down and flattening against her thighs.  
  
"For fuck’s sake Merle," He spits over Beth's shoulder in the direction of the living room, where his brother must be. There’s so much hostility in his voice that Beth feels her own muscles tighten with unease.  
  
"I don't blame you," Merle huffs a laugh followed by the creak of Daryl’s couch, "That girl a’ yours looks tight as fuck."  
  
With a barely contained growl, Daryl steps around Beth and she turns, leaning against the kitchen table.  
  
"Mornin’ sweetheart" Merle drawls, in the same clothes as last night and looking a little worse for wear as his eyes run down her exposed legs. The smell of stale alcohol fills her nose from across the room, no doubt oozing from his pores if the sheen of sweat on his forehead is anything to go by.  
  
"Mornin’" Beth forces out, willing away the blush on her cheeks as his eyes linger on her bare legs, "You look like you could do with some coffee."  
  
Daryl's head snaps sideways to stare at Beth for a moment before darting back to Merle.  
  
A twisted grin works its way across the older Dixon’s rugged face.  
  
"Jail bait here don't scare easy,” He observes, lifting his gaze to Daryl and sounding faintly impressed, “I like that."  
  
“ _Merle_ ,” Daryl warns.  
  
“I'm eighteen actually,” Beth interrupts.  
  
Merle's switchblade stare slides over to Beth but his words remain directed at Daryl.  
  
"I hope you carded her, little brother, 'cause if she was lyin' jus' to get her rocks off your buddy Rick won't think twice about haulin' you in an’ showin' you the other side of his face," He sneers, voice rich with mockery and face twisting with venom.   
  
Beth watches the way Daryl's body tenses when Merle speaks, bristling with anger. But he's not just angry, his eyes are darting like he's riddled with uncertainty. Merle is getting under Daryl's skin and tapping into his fears with a practised ease that is uncomfortable to watch. He's smiling like it's a game but Daryl's anxiety is real and coming off of him in waves.  
  
"Rick knows I'm eighteen," Beth cuts her way back in to the conversation, giving Merle a hard look.

  
“Does he now?” Merle asks, narrowing his eyes as his interest is dangerously peaked, “Well, I'll bet Officer Friendly doesn't know about you two.”  
  
Beth’s blush betrays the accuracy of his accusation and she freezes for a moment under the startling intensity of Merle’s gaze.  
  
“I'll bet no one knows,” Merle sneers, dropping his voice to a low murmur, “Especially not your little corn fed boyfriend.”  
  
“I don't have a boyfriend,” Beth corrects him sharply, her confidence re-steeled when his smirk falters.  
  
Daryl's head swings around, surprise written all over his face as he turns to look at her. Beth’s gaze softens as she meets his and she wishes that they were alone so that she could explain how she ended things with Jimmy, and more importantly, _why._  
  
“Well, ain't that sweet,” Merle croons, eyes eagerly tracking his brother’s face and catching every emotion.  
  
“Merle, stop bein’ a dick,” Daryl yells, hunching his broad shoulders in a way that makes him look smaller before shooting a glare in his brother’s direction.  
  
“I'm jus’ lookin out for ya, little brother,” Merle says, holding his hands up in a placating gesture that only seems to make Daryl glare harder, “Always have, always will.”  
  
Daryl scoffs bitterly and his face takes on a hardness that makes Beth want to reach out and touch him. Her fingers twitch at her sides but she thinks better of it.  
  
“Blood is thicker than pussy, no matter how sweet it tastes,” Merle hums, swinging his gaze to Beth.  
  
“Jesus _Christ_ , Merle!” Daryl shouts, stepping away from her as he squares up to his brother.

Beth watches Merle’s eyes sparkle as his brother approaches, clearly delighted at finally getting a rise out of him.

“You know what would taste _really_ good?” Beth says suddenly, stepping forward and touching Daryl’s arm.

He freezes and turns around, looking startled to see her there beside him.

“Those eggs you promised me,” She says, smiling up at him, fingers gently curling around his forearm.

Daryl blinks back at her.

“An‘ I’ll get that coffee goin’,” She adds, turning to Merle.

“Soun’s good,” Merle concedes, hard eyes boring into Beth’s.

She holds his gaze for a moment then smiles thinly and turns to Daryl.

Her smile widens and she tips her head towards the kitchen, “Come on, I’m starvin’. I eat, remember?”

Daryl’s mouth twitches and his brow softens. He steps forward and his hand finds the small of her back as they move back towards the kitchen.

“Thank you,” He murmurs against her ear, lips brushing her cheekbone as she turns towards the sound.

She finds his lips and presses hers against them lightly, smiling up at him. Daryl’s eyes are swimming with uncertainty as they dart across her face, shoulders still hunched defensively, but her smile seems to anchor him somehow. With a dip of his chin he turns to the stove.

Beth stands beside him for a moment, their hips almost touching again, but the easy atmosphere from before is gone. He doesn't offer any explanation for his brother's presence and she doesn't ask. She doesn’t ask because while Daryl seems irritated to find him there he doesn't seem particularly surprised.

As Daryl starts cracking the eggs into the pan, Beth finds the coffee and sets about making a pot. Merle turns the TV on in the other room and she doesn't miss the way Daryl's hunched shoulders loosen a little at that. When the coffee is brewing Beth pads over to where Daryl is stood at the stove and nuzzles her face in between his shoulder blades.

"That smells amazin'," She hums, pushing up on her tip toes to rest her chin on his shoulder. Daryl turns his head to look at Beth, ocean-deep eyes swaying at they connect with hers.

“S’just eggs,” He murmurs, the tips of his ears growing pink as he turns back to the pan and pushes the eggs around. She smiles against his shoulder, arms circling his waist, enjoying the feeling of falling in step with him so easily, like they’ve done this a thousand times. She stays pressed against his back like that until she feels his muscles lose some of their tension, and his hand comes down to cover hers.

Merle emerges in the kitchen as Daryl starts scraping the eggs onto three plates. 

Beth watches him hover for a moment before filling a mug with coffee and placing it at the table.

"Come sit," She says, gesturing to the empty chair, before turning back to the coffee maker. And he does, the scrape of chair against tile fills Beth's ears as she fetches two more down mugs from the cupboard.

She’s setting the steaming mugs down on the table when Daryl shuffles over, carrying the three plates. He sets the plate with the biggest pile of eggs in front of Beth before sliding into the chair next to her.

Beth eagerly stuffs a huge scoop of eggs into her mouth and groans deeply.

“Oh my _God_ , Daryl, this is _so good_ ,” She hums around her fork.

Daryl's head snaps up, eyes flaring and cheeks growing red enough to attract his brother's darting eyes.

Merle's mouth slides up into a smirk as he studies his brother.

“You enjoy it when she makes that sound for you, little brother?” He asks, his eyes flicking over to catch Beth’s startled expression.

She feels her cheeks burn as she forces the huge mouthful down her throat with a gulp.

“Shut up and eat your eggs,” Daryl grunts, pushing a plate across the table at Merle.

And he does. With a dry laugh, he grabs the plate and starts shovelling the contents into his mouth between guzzles of hot coffee.

Beth lets her gaze drift to Daryl, whose plate remains untouched as he scowls at his brother. She drops one of her hands below the table and reaches over to rest it lightly on Daryl’s knee. When her warm palm connects with his bare skin he turns his head to meet her gaze. His scowl softens when their eyes connect, ocean blue gaze thrumming from the renewed flood of tension in his body. Beth smiles and squeezes his knee, reaching for her coffee and taking a sip. He watches her, jaw stilling even as his eyes continue to dart around restlessly. After a moment she feels his hot palm cover her knuckles and she smiles around the lip of her coffee cup. Daryl’s eyes smile back, his mouth still a tight line but slowly loosening at the edges.  

They clear their plates and sip their coffee in a strained silence. Merle finishes first, dropping his fork on his empty plate with a clatter that draws Beth and Daryl’s eyes up and makes Daryl’s shoulders hunch.

“Always said you’d make someone a fine wife someday, Darylina,” Merle chuckles, licking his lips before downing the last of his coffee.

“I could do with some more’a that coffee, sweetheart,” He says, placing his empty cup down in front of Beth.

She’s pushing back from the table when Daryl’s hand comes to rest on the back of her chair, holding it in place.

“You know where the pot is,” He rumbles, eyes narrowed into icy slits aimed at his brother, “You can get your own damn coffee.”

Beth doesn’t breathe, she doesn’t blink. Her eyes flick back and forth across the table as the tension pulls unbearably tight. Merle stares back at his brother, eyebrows raised in surprise above his cold, hard gaze.  

“She don’t mind, do ya darlin’?” He says after a long moment, eyes rolling over to Beth and making her stomach lurch.

“I do,” Daryl growls before she can open her mouth, “I do mind. She ain’t here to fetch you coffee, Merle.”

Merle’s gaze swings back to Daryl and narrows, lips curling with clear disdain at the way Daryl's pushing back.

“Then what’s she still here for?” Merle says after beat, shrugging as he jerks his chin in Beth’s direction.

It’s like all the oxygen is suddenly sucked out of the room. Beth’s chest tightens as she watches Daryl’s face scrunch up with rage, fingers twitching over hers. She feels his entire body tense up like a dog preparing to attack; hears the sound of his teeth scrape together as he grinds them painfully down to the enamel.  

“I’m finished,” She says quickly, turning to Daryl and tightening her hand on his knee. She digs her fingernails into his leg until he looks at her, dragging his gaze away from Merle with considerable effort. The eyes that connect with hers are dark and pulsing, his face suffused with red like he’s been drinking from all of the anger that’s bubbling up inside about to boil over.

“Can we go and get dressed now?” She asks, calm blue gaze boring into his.

“Please?” She adds softly causing his expression to falter. There’s a crack in his fury and it’s just enough to let out a slither of steam and bring him down from boiling point. The corner of her mouth curls up into a half smile and she rubs her thumb across his knee softly.

Slowly and then all at once the burning rage on his face fades to a simmering anger as he holds her gaze. His tongue slides out to wet his lips and then he nods sharply. As they push back from the table, Beth sees Merle’s eyes flare in surprise.

“Must be some damn good pussy to have you so whipped, boy,” He crows after them as they walk out of the kitchen.

When Daryl freezes, turning back towards his brother's voice, Beth tightens her fingers where they're laced with his and pulls him with her down the hall.

Thirty seconds later they’re crossing the threshold into Daryl’s bedroom and he’s letting go of her hand to slam the door behind them.

She watches his arms bulge and his shoulders ripple under his vest as he stands with his back to her, glaring at the door as his hands ball into fists at his sides.

“Come here,” Beth says softly.

On a slow exhale, Daryl turns towards her with his head bowed between his shoulders.

“'M sorry,” He murmurs, his voice barely above a whisper.  
  
“Don't be,” Beth shrugs, stepping into him and wrapping her arms around his waist. He folds his arms around her back like a reflex, palms stroking down her shoulder blades through the thin cotton of his t-shirt.  
  
Beth can feel the scowl hard set on Daryl's mouth as she pushes up on her toes and presses a kiss to his lips. She can feel the discomfort radiating from every fibre of his being, and all she knows is that she needs to make him feel better somehow.  
  
“Do you wanna make me come?” She breathes against his mouth.

Daryl’s eyes widen and flare back at hers before darting to the door.

“With him out there?” He frowns.  
  
Beth shrugs, “You got a lock?”  
  
Daryl nods blankly.  
  
“So lock the door,” Beth says, a smile stretching across her face as she steps back and pulls the borrowed t-shirt up and over her head.

Daryl stares open mouthed for a moment before turning and fumbling with the lock.

She falls back on the bed and catches her bottom lip coyly between her teeth as he stalks towards her.

“I want you naked,” She says, scooting back towards the headboard.

Daryl's face flushes red, hot blue eyes flickering behind his hair.

“You can have me any way you want,” He rumbles, grabbing the hem of his vest and pulling it up over his head.

She spreads her legs slowly as he unbuttons his jeans and Daryl practically dives onto the bed before crawling up to cage her in with his huge arms.

Just as his mouth is a breath away from hers, Beth surges up and pushes him onto his back. With her palms pressed down on his shoulders, she climbs on top of him and straddles his waist.  
  
His eyes flash up at her as his head hits the pillow and his huge hands fly up to curl around her waist.

She starts to feel a little self-conscious, her inexperience creeping in as she awkwardly tries to position herself on top of him. That is until she looks down and sees the way that Daryl is looking up at her, eyes blown wide with lust and awe, and it fills her with confidence.

With a smile, she reaches down and wraps her hands around his cock, causing his eyes to slam shut and a whimper to push past his lips. The sound sends a jolt of heat running down Beth's spine as she glides her thumb across his oozing tip.

“ _Fuck_ ,” He whispers as she curls her fingers around his thick shoulders and pulls herself up on her knees, dragging his straining cock slowly down her slit.

His eyes snap open and bleed blue as his cockhead catches on her hole and she sinks down, swallowing his length in her tight wet heat. He lets out a strained moan, her ass pressing down softly on his hips as she buries every inch of him inside her pulsing walls.

An experimental rock of her hips causes his fingers to tremble against her skin and his cock to nudge the sweet spot inside her. She refuses to let her eyelids close even as they flutter wildly, forcing them to stay open and connected with his.

They're not just having sex. They're making something, a word she doesn't dare even _think_ yet. He has a way of telling her things with his body and right now she's trying to speak to him with hers, desperately hoping that he hears her. When she says she wants him to feel good. When she says he _deserves_ to feel good. When she says it's not just about her. And it isn't. This time it's about him.  
  
She feels that increasingly familiar need for him burn at her core but this time it's different somehow. This time there’s more than just the desire to feel him inside her coursing through her veins. She's burning with the need to use her body to soothe the deep ridges from his brow, determined to wipe the scowl off his face and chase the tension from his body.

Canting her hips like she’s riding a horse, Beth starts to move, chasing _his_ release not hers. She slides up and down his cock in a frenzy, moving faster and faster until his cock starts to swell inside her.  
  
Daryl's hands tighten on her ass and his eyes fly open.  
  
“Beth, _fuck_ ,” He pants, eyes drowning in panic, “I'm, _shit,_ I’m gonna come.”  
  
“ _Yes,_ Daryl, _please_ , _”_ She moans softly, gazing down at him, “I wanna make you come.”  
  
Her explicit permission to finish before her seems to confound him; his eyes flickering wildly up at her. She watches an array of emotions cross his face like clouds in the sky: panic, doubt, confusion, and finally, _rapture._ He's staring at her like she’s his salvation, and it's that look of pure worship that pushes Beth over the edge.

“ _Daryl,”_ She moans, high and needy as her orgasm cracks through her like a whip.

Suddenly, he fucks up into her. His hands tighten on her hips, moving her up and down his cock exactly the way he wants; his barely caged need evident in every thrust.  
  
Beth moans as his cock plunges even deeper inside her trembling walls. Her fingernails dig crescent moons into his shoulders as her orgasm shakes her by the spine.  
  
" _Beth_ ," Daryl sobs, his hot blue eyes shining as they connect with hers. Her breath catches when she sees him flayed apart beneath her, cracked open and raw, eyes are rippling like they’re about to spill over. His hips shudder to a stop as he looks her in the eye and comes.   

With Daryl’s cum flooding her cunt, she falls forward and covers his mouth with hers, nipples tightening as they drag across his chest. Daryl whines into her open mouth, his lips trembling against hers as she pushes up and his softening dick slips out of her. She eases down onto her side next to him, hand coming up to sweep the wild hair from her face as her tongue comes out to wet her dry lips.

When Daryl turns his head to look at her his cheeks are flushed and there isn't the hint of a frown on his slack face.

 _Good_ , Beth thinks, heart fluttering in the knowledge that she did that, and resolving to keep it that way. Merle might be able to tap into Daryl’s insecurities, but Beth has a direct line to his pleasure centre and she isn’t afraid to fight dirty. 

His hand reaches out to stroke her cheek and she turns into it, pressing a kiss against his palm.

“You’re somethin’ special, you know that?” He murmurs.

Beth smiles, “You sure that ain't jus’ the sex talkin’?”

“Girl, I ain't gonna lie, sex with you is _amazin’_ ,” Daryl admits, blinking up at her with those stormy blues, “But so are all the moments in between.”

Beth’s stomach flutters. With the weight of his words, the way he’s looking at her, the aftershocks of her orgasm rippling through her body. She doesn’t recognise this feeling that’s crawled inside her chest and taken root, which grows stronger every time he looks at her like _that._

She smiles because the fluttering in her stomach is growing stronger with every passing second and when Daryl smiles back her chest swells with something that he put there.

For a while they just lie there like that, Daryl’s talking fingers trailing down Beth’s cheek, her jaw, her throat, to curl around the back of her neck and pull her forward so that he can kiss the life out of her.

Beth’s lips fall open and her hands come up to grasp at his neck, his cheeks, his hair, their foreheads pressed together and by the time they come apart they’re gasping for breath.

“Daryl,” Beth says, little more than a whisper, breath washing across Daryl’s mouth as his breath washes across hers. She pulls back, staring at Daryl and this time she’s the one whose eyes hold a delicate question.

Daryl kisses her in answer – not like the last kiss, not heated or breathless, but just a simple press of lips to lips as his large, rough hands come up to cup her face. Those hands tell her everything she needs to know for now as they hold her face tightly against his.

“I’m really glad I stayed,” She whispers when they break apart.

“Fuck, yeah, so am I,” He murmurs, thumb dragging across her cheekbone and eyes burning into hers.

With a sigh, Beth rolls away and sits on the edge of the bed.

“Come on, let's get dressed,” She says, looking over her shoulder at him.

Daryl frowns and makes a disgruntled sound, hand reaching out to curl around her hip.

Beth smiles and covers his hand with hers.

“Then I should probably make a move, or they're gonna miss me on the farm,” She says, fingertips dancing across his scarred knuckles.  
  
“I'm gonna miss you here,” He murmurs, looking up at her through his hair.  
  
His admission startles them both, slipping out before he can think better of it. Beth’s mouth parts on a ragged inhale and her fingers still over his. He swallows audibly, dropping his gaze to their hands.  
  
“Well, you won’t have to miss me for long,” Beth smiles.

Daryl’s trembling blue gaze flies back up to hers, “No?”

Beth shakes her head, smile growing wider.

Daryl’s lips twitch. She doesn't need to say anymore. The implication, the _intent_ , is enough for him.

“Alrigh’,” He rumbles, giving her hip a gentle squeeze before rolling over and sliding out of bed.

Beth winces when she catches a glimpse of his back as he crosses the room in search of his jeans, marred with pain that lingers in every hesitation and every stilted silence. Her heart aches in awe at how honest and open he is with her in spite of what he’s been through. _Whatever_ he’s been through, and she might never know the extent of it. As she stands and pads across the room to locate her own clothes, it occurs to her that maybe Merle’s rough mannerisms are a result of the same pain, turned outwards rather than inwards.

Reluctantly, she takes off Daryl’s cosy t-shirt and tosses it onto the bed, replacing it with her own top that doesn’t smell like him at all. She picks her panties off the floor and slides them up her legs, cheeks flaring to find they’re still a little damp from last night.

Stepping into her skirt, she turns and watches Daryl pick up the t-shirt she slept in from the bed and pull it over his head. Her heart beats a little faster wondering if it was deliberate, or.... all doubt disappears when his hot blue eyes connect with hers and pulse with longing.

"Stop it," She says, narrowing her eyes at him but unable to hide the smile tugging at her lips

"What?" He smirks, tilting his head back.

"Stop lookin’ at me like that," She warns, pressing her lips together as she tries to temper the grin threatening to erupt at the cocky look on his face.

“Like what?” He furrows his brow at her in mock confusion.

"You know exactly what you're doin’, Daryl, an’ it's not gonna work,” She tells him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"S'that right?" He rumbles as he takes a step closer, causing Beth's heart to jackhammer behind her tightly crossed forearms. His thick voice, penetrating gaze and increasing proximity are causing her respiratory system to have a fit.

"That's right," She says a little breathlessly, tilting her head as Daryl closes the distance between them, towering over her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

She can barely breathe when she looks up at him and he holds her gaze, eyes so dark and full of sin she could almost drown in them.

The moment stretches tight between them as Beth’s heart pounds in her ears. Then he leans forward and presses his lips to her hairline.

She feels every syllable against her skin as he murmurs, "Alright, let's go," and then steps away.

A shaky exhale pushes past her lips as she resists the urge to grab him by the shoulders and pull his body back against hers where it belongs.

Instead, she follows him down the hall and into the living room. Once they’re there she retrieves her shoes and jacket from the back of the couch and starts putting them on.

Merle's gaze drifts up from the TV as they walk in and instantly locks on Daryl.

"Well, shit, I don't think I've ever seen you so relaxed, little brother," He croons from where he's busy wearing a groove into the couch, "Has Babysitter Barbie been workin’ her magic again?"  
  
"It was nice to meet you, Merle," Beth smiles, turning to face the older Dixon as the younger one bristles beside her.  
  
Merle's shit-eating grin falters.

“Was nice meetin’ ya too, blondie,” He mutters, dipping his chin before turning his attention back to the TV and sinking back down into the couch.

Daryl stares at his brother for a moment and then turns to look at Beth.

“You need a ride?” He asks.

Beth’s heart is racing as their eyes lock and his hot blue pools burn into hers with a simmering heat. They both know what happened last time he gave her a ride home.

She feels a quickening inside her as she catches a flash of tongue come out to wet his lips. Her eyes linger on his mouth for a moment as heat climbs her spine, before she drags them up to blink owlishly back at him.

“A ride would be really good,” Beth says, grinning when the corner of his mouth slides up instantly.


End file.
